I finally found free plans. http://www.craftsmanspace.com/free-projects/spinning-wheel-plan.html
Never having been around a spinning wheel I have some questions that the plans aren't exactly clear on.

Are the flyer bearing and flyer whorl nut screwed onto the flyer axle? It's clear that the nut and bearing are threaded but not the axle, so it could be a friction thing or screwed together (I think it's screwed but the taper that goes into the nut really throws me off).
It also calls for left hand thread on those, does it have to be that way since you can twist either way?
What's the reason for the 2 different hook shapes?

Should I modify the flyer whorl to have a second larger track or make separate ones of different sizes? How much of a size difference is enough and too much?

What is the Wool Bar for? (The long pillar.) I don't think it's attached.

If you see any modifications that would be better please mention them (I already know the holes, pegs and threads are going to be changed to standard sizes rather than metric).

mullerslanefarm

06-14-2011, 02:04 AM

Best bet would be to contact the seller of the wheel plans with your questions

Mike

06-14-2011, 12:20 PM

Problem is it's not a spinning wheel seller, it's a woodworking website with no author listed. It sounds like it's either measurements taken from a relative's old wheel or they they came out of a book.
I'm not sure they've ever actually used the wheel to spin on. They only show it with a single band and don't say the right way to put the double band on.

This should be just like any other double drive.

Mike

06-15-2011, 12:20 PM

For the point that I don't think they actually know anything.
I found out the "wool bar" is probably a distaff. Not really part of the wheel.
Now that I've been pouring over the plans to start sawing up my tree, I think the "wool carrier" is missing something, probably a lazy kate and the table is missing something probably for the spare bobbin or two.

I think I'm going to use these plans for the wheel and flyer idea and arrange them as a Saxony. The parts will fit in my lathe better and I'm more likely to be able to get the wood out of my old cherry tree.

mullerslanefarm

06-16-2011, 02:32 AM

The 'wool bar' is a distaff. It is not needed.

These are plans for a single drive wheel, except it does not have the brake band for the bobbin whorl (actually a pulley). It would behoove you to make the diameter of the bobbin whorl different than the flyer whorl for either a single drive (SD) or a double drive (DD). If your flyer whorl has 2 diameters, you'll even be better off.

Castle (upright) wheels as just as functional as saxony wheels. Take a look at the Ashford Traveller (http://www.ashford.co.nz/newsite/spinning-wheels.html) wheels (both SD & DD)

The 'wool carrier' is just a piece for the distaff. Neither is needed.

The table may or may not have a place to keep extra bobbins. The lazy kate is a separate piece all together. I generally keep my extra bobbins on my kate and not on my wheel, since it is easier to ply from my kate when it is behind my working hand.

Mike

06-16-2011, 10:25 AM

What made it click thing things were missing was looking on Ebay and saw one with just about everything you can imagine mounted on a castle.
Maybe it was a mounted distaff that "grandma" didn't like and removed but the spare holes match up in size to other places that have things in them.

It is double drive. There's nothing to turn the bobbin without it. They just don't know how to string one.

After I figured up the ratio I'm glad I'm sawing up wood rather than ran out and bought wood. It seems painfully slow.
I'm going to go more along the lines of a Schacht Reeves Saxony, just because I like the looks of it. There's a lot fewer parts to turn and that design seems easier to hide modern things like bushings and metal screws in.

jess_hawk

08-16-2011, 09:46 PM

Thanks for the link! I've been in search of a good diagram on how to make a flyer. Thinking of making an extra-small functional wheel when I finish my current woodworking project (a guitar)